Egg-case tray or filler.



'PATENTBD' MAY 24, 1904.

F.' P. BIscHoPF. BGG cAsETRAY OREILLER. APPLICATION-FILED 10V. 1, 1902.

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ns co, PHTO-Lrrpo., wAsmnoToN n c Patented May 24, 1904.

-I-)A/TENT OFEic-E.

` FERDINAND E. EiseHoEE,"on.` MILWAUKEE, f wisconsin@ s- PE ornicn'rroiv forming-parser Letteren-atene No; 760,842, dautealvay' 24,1964.

Application iiled ovenibe' 1, 1902.

IO My invention has relationto improvements in egg-case trays orfllers. 1 I

The primary object of the invention is to prvide'a construction whereby by a peculiar cut of a blank of strawboardor other suitable I material tray partitions or strips r are formed ofsuch construction as not only to effect,- a great saving of'i'naterial, but at the same timev providing ample means for ventilation and in addition thereto also providingmeans for permitting readyl inspection of the eggs for the purpose of testing without the ,necessity of removing the eggs separately froml the tray, but yet when tlieneoessity for removing does arise said eggs n be removed singly without inconvenien ndfwith the least possible trouble. l y. A further objectresides in the provision of a construction Vwhereby the trays can be folded for transportation, so'as to take up the minimum space.

With the above and other incidental objects in View the inventionconsistsof the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully setforth. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a case, a portion of one of the side pieces thereof broken away, said case having a series of my improved trays or illers arranged therein one on top of the other with an intervening horizontal layer or supporting-partition between each set oftrays. Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary viewof two of the partitions employed in making up the tray adjusted together after having been out s o as to clearly illustrate the line of cut. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a fragment of one of the trays. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a tray. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the trays folded for transportation, and Fig. 6 is an edge view of boardorother desirable material and another series of intersecting partitions or strips l9 of tending'projections12. The recesses are so .and inl line .withthe' centers of the projections- '1 2 of said partitions 9.` Inadjusting or lock- "ing the partitions together the bordering edges vofthefslits 13 are made to embrace the oppotions 9 whilefthebordering edges of theslits 14 of the partitions 9 Aembrace opposite sides l partitions are located at the corners or angles of the pockets 10.

Fig. 5.

serial No. 129,641, iomtdle'ili-.

V' Referring4 to the-drawings, the numeral 7`V indicates the casefor containing the trays or `fillers.v VEach tray or filler consists of-ase-V ries of parallel partitions or strips 8 of straw-` similarmaterial interlocked with the firstfnamed strips in such manner-as to forma series of pockets or receptacles 10 for contain-v ing the eggs. The top edges of. thev sets of `partitions are provided at equidistances apartv with the recesses l1.-` The downwardly-cut,

recesses provide therebetween upwardly-exdisposed that when the partitions are adjust- 65 ed together in the manner illustrated in Fig.`

".4: each side of each pocket will be provided ywith one ofthe downwardly.- extending re- 'fcesses ,"viding the upwardly extending 4projections 12 ,of the partitions 8 with downwardly-exi tending slits l'and the partitions 9 with slits 11i, which extend upwardly for a desireddis- The parti-tions are interlocked by protance from the lower-edges of said 4partitions site sides of the projections l2 of .the'partia k8o of the vpartitions 8 below the projections 12 of said partitions. It will, lbe observed that .the lengths of the respective slits are such lthat when the adjustment referred to is effected the lower edges of the interlocked partitions will be flush and the upper edges of the projections 12 will likewise be flush and that also the respective projections 12 of the The particular manner of forming the partitions is shown in Fig. 2, wherein two of the partitions 8 and 9 are illustrated as adjusted together after having been cut in order to clearly show the line along which the cut was made in order to form two partitions of the particular shape illustrated. The line of cut is indicated by the letter a. In order to give the preferable rounded contour to the recesses IOO and projections, the cut is made in sigmoid curves. After being cut in the manner indicated the respective slits 13 and 14 are then made. By this means of forming the partitions there is no waste of material, excepting the small amount of material necessarily cut out in the formation of the slits and a small amount ofy material which must be cutoff at the ends of the blank from which the partitions are cut.

In arranging my improved trays within the case the lower tray rests on the floor of the case, with preferably a loose partition 15 therebeneath, while over the top of each succeeding tray is placed one of the loose horizontal partitions 15, each partition forming the bottom piece for the next upper trayof' the series. As each tray is placed in the case f it is filled by putting the egg in each pocket 10. When it is desired to inspect the eggs contained in a trayall that is necessary to be done is to remove the tray, with its loose bottom piece. The recesses 11 then afford ample opportunity for examining entirely around the eggs and produce registering view-openings in approximately the center of the walls of each cell for testing purposes. If it is desired Vto examine the eggs from below, a glass or transparent bottom piece may be placed beneath a strawboard partition 15 and said partition then drawn out. By elevating the tray and the transparent bottom thereof the lower ends of the eggs can be readily inspected. The recesses not only facilitate the inspection of the eggs and provide for thorough ventilation thereof, but also permit said eggs to be readily removed singly from the uppermost tray without the necessity of removing said tray from the case, inasmuch as the recesses afford opportunity for the insertion of the lingers, so asto obtain a firm grasp on the eggs.

Besides the advantages already pointed out the.invention possesses an additional advantage of providing a construction wherein the trays can be folded, so as to occupy a minimum space during shipment. Figs. 5 and 6 ofthe drawings illustrate a fragment of a tray folded for shipment. In order to accomplish the folding, all that is necessary is to grasp a tray at diagonally opposite corners thereof and exert an outward pull at such corners. This has the effect of' bringing the partitions together fiat, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the interlocking slits acting as hinges to permit of the turning of the partitions. When thus folded together fiat, two diagonally opposite outer border-partitions are brought parallel to each other, and the two other diagonally opposite border-partitions are likewise brought parallel and in longitudinal alinement with the first-mentioned partitions, while the inner partitions are brought from their normal intersecting positions to positions in which they are parallel and fiat against each other.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention is-- As a new article of manufacture, an eggcase tray comprising two sets of strips, both sets of strips being similar in shape, having upper edges serrated in regular compound curves producing rounded projections atregular intervals with rounded recesses therebetween extending approximately halfway down the said strips, the rounded projccti is of one set of strips, however, being provi( ed with central vertical slits extending the full length thereof and the other set of strips being provided with vertical slits centrally beneath the projections and extending from the lower edge of said strips to approximately half the width of the strips, the latter set of' strips being placed upon and across the other set of strips with their slits interlocking, thereby forming cells of which all the corners are formed by intersecting projections and all the sides contain the recesses forming registering view-openings.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND F. BISCHOFF.

Witnesses:

A. L. MoRsELL, ANNA V. FAUs'r. 

